Costochondritis Treatments
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello all, firstly I'd like to say thank you to all of the previous posters and commenters on this forum. I've been dealing with Costochondritis for a year and a half, and as I'm confident you guys know, it's an infuriating condition to have. After all the testing, the doctor visits, the worrying nights thinking about heart attacks, in the end you're given a diagnosis that basically has no direct treatment. But, sometimes just reading your posts made it a little easier to deal with.
Basically, I'm at the point now where I'm educating my doctor on this condition. He's a good guy and smart, but hasn't ever had a patient with chronic Costo. I'm ready to beat this thing, if it's possible, doing whatever it takes.
I've started compiling a list of treatments based on Costo success stories of people finally getting over it. I.E. Physio, Nortriptline, etc. that I plan to run down one by one with my doctor.
If anyone has any treatments they feel were effective in overcoming or at least managed their Costo very well please leave a comment. The idea is to have as many treatments listed as possible in one thread.
Backstory on me: Male, 33. No injury or trauma I can think of started it. I was working long hours in high stress situations. Started with sharp pains in my chest, then heavy dull pressure. Testing ruled out my heart. About six months in, a new pain started in my lower left side, very specific location that's never changed. Over the last year the pains have flipped. Overall my chest is better. No more stinging pain and the dull ache has gotten better, but the pain in my left side below my chest became worse. Hurts everyday, mostly dull pain. Every now and then though, it "seizes" for lack of a better term and I can't take a deep breath; the pain shoots to a 10. I have to slowly keep trying to expand my lungs through the pain and it finally releases. The worst thing by far hasn't been the pain though, it's been the fatigue. Feels like I've been running at 30% max for a year.
My diet is super clean, I stretch, and use heating pads. The goal is to finally find a treatment that works for me and help as many people as I can do the same.
0 likes, 7 replies
SweetSal EALyons
Posted
Morning from Maine
Unfortunately I haven't found a cure but a little bit of advice, hopely it helps. I've have Costo/Tietze, the only difference is there is a lump that form on the sternum and swollens ribs from small tears of the ligaments and tendons. It's basically scar tissue built up. The "seizes" you talk about, I refer to them as a "charlie horse" that you can get in the calf of your leg but in the ribs. Mine is on the left side most of the time but already get them on the right. I've had nerve block done on 3 ribs but after 6 days it was back. They should have gone up one more rib and the right side because I could feel the spams in those areas. But they can't do both sides at once because of the risk of collasping a lung. The pain clinic that did it said I have Intercostal Neuryglia. They recommended that I increase the Gabapentin (this is for nerve pain) to 900mg a day and I could increase up to 1800mg a day. This is not addictive and is pretty to use. The doctor can give you a short dose of a steriod when it's bad. I also have a bunch of other issues, OA, Fibro, Spinal Stenosis and on and on. But those spasms I get from moving around too much, twisting and turning are horrible!!! Please keep us updated and good luck!
EALyons SweetSal
Posted
grace28398 EALyons
Posted
EALyons grace28398
Posted
grace28398 EALyons
Posted
UG1234 EALyons
Posted
Hi
Have you heard of EMS therapy? I've only heard about it today and was curious about its application to the treatment of Tietze syndrome. If anyone have any experience of using EMS I would be interested as well!
EALyons UG1234
Posted
+1, did some quick research on EMS therapy & Costo; not much info out there. Curious to see if it brings any positive results for someone.